Spire E-Newsletter Q2 2017

Spire shares insights on Halal product market trends with students at Anderson Junior College students

24 March 2017

Spire Research and Consulting was honored to be invited as a speaker at Anderson Junior College in Singapore. Spire’s CEO Leon Perera spoke on entrepreneurial opportunities in the global Halal product market, a subject where Spire has published research articles and has been quoted in global media outlets.

Leon was privileged to give a talk to students organized by the Anderson Junior College’s Malay Language, Literary and Debating Society on 24 March 2017.

Leon shared his insights on the size, growth and outlook for the global Halal products market, with a focus on entrepreneurial opportunities for Singapore-based firms.

Furthermore, he discussed certification methods used in different countries while also touching on opportunities in non-food Halal categories like skincare and logistics.

Finally, he shared his experiences and expertise on entrepreneurship followed by an interactive question and answer session.

Spire Malaysia conducts business consulting session for University of Malaya students again

17 March 2017

Economics students from the University of Malaya visited Spire Malaysia for an interactive business consulting session on 17 March. Yap Far Loon, Business Development Director, Telecommunications of Spire Research and Consulting conducted the session.

The interactive session gave students an insight on the importance of applying the right theories and tools in formulating business strategies.

The session focused on the realm of market research and consulting practices. Far Loon discussed the theoretical models deployed by Spire in business consulting while also elaborating on the planning and sampling strategies used in market research.

Spire participates as Knowledge Partner at the India Global Summit on cryptocurrency

3 March 2017

Spire Research and Consulting was honored to be appointed as the Official Knowledge Partner at the Global Summit on Bitcoin & Blockchain: The State of Cryptocurrency – Opportunities and Challenges for Indian Economy – organized by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). The summit was held on 3 March 2017 in New Delhi. It aimed to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by the new technology.

Yap Far Loon, Business Development Director, Telecommunications of Spire Research and Consulting, was honored to be a guest speaker at this event. He highlighted key facts about the Bitcoin & Blockchain ecosystem in India and other countries, focusing on market acceptance of cryptocurrency, security risks and regulatory issues.

Following last year’s demonetization move by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the government is not in favor of legitimizing Bitcoin as legal tender. However, a few industry players are working on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) solutions, namely Zebpay, Unocoin and SearchTrade.

Yap also shared his insights on the benefits of a Fintech Regulatory Sandbox framework used by Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia banks in which regulators, financial institutions and entrepreneurs exchange ideas. This framework enables not only the testing of innovative ideas but also helps to reduce time, cost and risk.

The challenge still remains for the Indian government to regulate Bitcoin in a way that best unlocks the benefits of Blockchain technology in terms of transparency, accountability and consumer protection.

The interactive panel discussion concluded that skepticism still exists about the legality of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency globally. Japan officially recognizes Bitcoin, whereas Singapore and Malaysia remain neutral; those not in favor include China and Russia. In India, a great deal of interest is attached to whether the government will eventually accept virtual currencies as legal tender.

Spire selected as Official Research Partner for sixth year to the ALYA WTA Malaysian Open

27 February – 5 March 2017

Spire was honored to be appointed as the Official Research Partner for the sixth consecutive year for the ALYA WTA Malaysian Open – an international tennis tournament sanctioned by the Women Tennis Association (WTA). The event was held from 27th February to 5th March 2017 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Along with the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM), Spire was thrilled to be a part of this prestigious event, organized by Sime Darby – a Malaysia-based multinational conglomerate. Talented sportspersons such as Elina Svitolina, Carla Suarez Navarro, Caroline Garcia and Yulia Putintseva graced the court.

As the Official Research Partner, Spire’s Malaysia team aided organizers to improve event arrangements in the coming years using a Face-to-Face intercept research method to interview spectators.

Spire’s regular participation in this international event showcases the quality and consistency of the research we provide.

Spire and YBC host breakfast seminar on the impact of currency demonetization on Indian Economy

20 January 2017

On 20 January, Spire and Yamada Business Consulting (YBC) jointly held a breakfast seminar in Singapore to explore the impact on India’s economy of the recent Rupee demonetization of high-value currency notes. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, Japnit Singh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Spire and Yasuyuki (Luke) Kita, General Manager of YBC (Singapore), addressed the session.

Spire Singapore and YBC discussed the demonetization’s impact on different industry sectors, on e-commerce and on the outlook for doing business in India in 2017.

The speakers talked about how demonetization will spur growth in cashless transactions. Although the retail and car resale sector will suffer short-term damage, there is a visible shift towards modern trade and online transactions. Moreover, ease of doing business and transparency will rise, making India more investment-friendly.